Common Name: Comb Wrasse

Distribution: Abundant throughout the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Only known from the Western Pacific and eastern Australia, southern Queensland to northern Victoria, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, the Kermadec Islands and New Zealand.

Ecological Notes: Frequent coastal and offshore reefs, rocks adjacent to sand. Juveniles enter estuaries and harbours. Depth to at least 25 m.

Additional Notes: Wide black stripe with comb like bottom edge on adults. Juveniles with wide black stripe from snout to tail tip. Similar Labroides dimidiatus has tapering black stripe, same width as eye and broadening at the tail. Usually seen in small to large groups, juveniles observed regularly cleaning other species. Will follow divers across the substrate, feeding on disturbed invertebrates. Grows to 25 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p305.
FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Coris-picta.html. Accessed 23/05/18.